Dukkata, Wrong doing, Tác ác

Dukkaṭa: wrong doing, tác ác [作惡]

1) wrong doing, the lightest grade of offense (Bhikkhu Thanissaro)

2) wrong doing (dukkata). A very numerous category, for the avoidance of breaking which, care is needed. The 75 trainings (sekhiya) found in the Patimokkha and which contain numbers of points of interest to the layman, become when broken, offenses of wrong-doing (Bhikkhu Khantipalo).

3) dukkata: wrong-doing; the lightest class of offense. It may be cleared through confession (Vinaya Glossary, Bhikkhu Kumara, http://www.geocities.com/venkumara/evinaya/glossary.html )

4) In the Vinaya, or monastic Code, offences are grouped according to seriousness, the most serious being pārājika, involving expulsion from the Order and sanghādisesa, involving confession and temporary suspension of certain privileges. Dukkata (lit. 'wrongly done') is the least offence except for dubbaca ('wrongly said').

5) Dukkata: Tác ác (làm ác), không tốt, không thiện, làm xấu; = du + kata ; du: ngược, nghịch lại; kata: tốt, thiện; có khi dùng cặp đôi sukata & dukkata: làm thiện, làm bất thiện (PTS Pali Dictionary).

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Seven Kinds of Transgression or Offence, Apatti

The rules of discipline first laid down by the Buddha are called Mulapannatti (the root regulation); those supplemented later are known as Anupannatti. Together they are known as Sikkhapadas, rules of discipline. The act of tranagressing these rules of discipline, thereby incurring a penalty by the guilty bhikkhu, is called Apatti, which means 'reaching, committing'.

The offences for which penalties are laid down may be classified under seven categories depending on their nature:

(i) Parajika (Ba-la-di, Cực ác, Bất cộng trụ)
(ii) Samghadisesa (Tăng-già-bà-thi-sa, Tăng tàn)
(iii) Thullaccaya (Trọng tội, Thô suất)
(iv) Pacittiya (Ba-dật-đề, Đơn đọa, Ưng đối trị)
(v) Patidesaniya (Ba-la-đề Đề-xá-ni, Hối quá, Ưng phát lộ)
(vi) Dukkata (Tác ác)
(vii) Dubbhasita (Ác khẫu)

An offence in the first category of offences, Parajika, is classified as a grave offence, Garukapatti, which is irremediable, atekiccha and entails the falling off of the offender from bhikkhuhood.

An offence in the second category, Samghadisesa, is also classified as a grave offence but it is remediable, satekiccha. The offender is put on a probationary period of penance, during which he has to undertake certain difficult practices and after which he is rehabilitated by the Samgha assembly.

The remaining five categories consist of light offences, lahukapatti, which are remediable and incur the penalty of having to confess the transgression to another bhikkhu. After carrying out the prescribed penalty, the bhikkhu transgressor becomes cleansed of the offence. (Source: http://www.tipitaka.net/ )

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From Bhikkhu Thanissaro (Buddhist Monastic Code II , Chapter 10, Misbehavior) :

There is a dukkaṭa for going to see dancing, singing, or music. According to the Commentary, dancing includes going to see even peacocks dancing. It also includes dancing oneself and getting others to dance. (The Roṇa Sutta — AN III.103 — notes that, in the discipline of the noble ones, dancing counts as insanity.) Singing includes drama music as well as "sādhu music," which the Commentary to Bhikkhunī Pc 10 defines as songs sung "at the time of the total Unbinding of a noble one, connected with the virtues of the Triple Gem." The Sub-commentary to Cv.V.36 defines it as music dealing with Dhamma themes such as impermanence. Other religious music would come under this prohibition as well. The Commentary adds that singing also includes singing oneself and getting others to sing. The same holds true for "playing music." (The Roṇa Sutta also notes that, in the discipline of the noble ones, singing counts as wailing.) However, there is no offense in snapping one's fingers or clapping one's hands in irritation or exasperation. There is also no offense if, within the monastery, one happens to see/hear dancing, singing, or music, but if one goes from one dwelling to another with the intention to see/hear, one incurs a dukkaṭa. The same holds true for getting up from one's seat with the intention to see/hear; or if, while standing in a road, one turns one's neck to see.

DN 2's list of forbidden shows includes the following: dancing, singing, instrumental music, plays, legend recitations, hand-clapping, cymbals and drums, magic-lantern scenes, acrobatic and conjuring tricks; elephant fights, horse fights, buffalo fights, bull fights, goat fights, ram fights, cock fights, quail fights; fighting with staves, boxing, wrestling, war-games, roll calls, battle arrays, and regimental reviews (see Pc 50). Reasoning from this list, it would seem that a bhikkhu would be forbidden from watching athletic contests of any type. Movies and shadow-puppet plays would fit under the category of magic lantern scenes, and — given the Commentary's prohibition against "sādhu music," above — it would seem that fictional movies, plays, etc., dealing with Dhamma themes would be forbidden as well. Non-fictional documentary films would not seem to come under the rule, and the question of their appropriateness is thus an issue more of Dhamma than of Vinaya. Because many of even the most serious documentaries treat topics that come under "animal talk" (see Pc 85), a bhikkhu should be scrupulously honest with himself when judging whether watching such a documentary would be beneficial for his practice.
 
Arguing from the Great Standards, a bhikkhu at present would commit an offense if he were to turn on an electronic device such as a television, radio, VCR, computer, or CD/DVD player for the sake of entertainment, or if he were to insert a CD or a tape into such a device for the sake of entertainment. He would also commit an offense if he went out of his way to watch or listen to entertainment on such a device that was already turned on.
 
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